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State of the Art of Seismic Vulnerability Studies in Ecuador

Abstract:

Seismic vulnerability studies constitute an important part for the implementation of risk mitigation programs. In Ecuador, being a country in which there is a high seismic risk, studies have begun to be carried out to know the degree of vulnerability of existing buildings. This article describes the different methodologies used in these studies: that of the South America Risk Assessment (SARA) project for the city of Quito, in theses and academic papers, the methodologies FEMA P-154, NEC-15 and FUNVISIS also Benedetti-Petrini and FEMA 310. Subsequently, the results obtained are compared, focusing first on the common characteristics to all of them, and then on their differences and their relative importance. The percentages of vulnerable buildings that require a more detailed evaluation, deserve special attention. It is concluded that the methodologies presented constitute a useful alternative to determine those buildings that will not show an acceptable behavior in the event of a seismic event. In addition, these methodologies are complementary to each other and, therefore, the use of at least three of them is recommended: NEC-15, FEMA P-154 and FUNVISIS.